Relational Database Design, Tools and Techniques: Hands-On

What is this course about?

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to relational databases, which are designed, built and used based on relational technology - the state-of-the-art approach to organizing and accessing data. This technology is used on workstations, servers of all sizes and large mainframe computers.

You leave the course with an understanding of:

• What relational means
• The strengths and weaknesses of relational databases
• A development process for designing and building a relational database
• The techniques for logical and physical database design
• The tradeoffs of normalizing vs. denormalizing data
• Basic SQL verbs and what they do
• What's different about working with a relational database management system (RDBMS) in a client/server environment
• The use of stored procedures on the server and their impact on applications
• How the Internet/intranet is affecting the use of a relational database

Why do I need to know about relational theory?

Once people understand the relational principles, they can work with any of the relational products regardless of vendor or hardware platform. SQL, which is the standard access language for all of the RDBMSs, allows the users to create the database and manipulate the data according to relational principles. Without an understanding of the underlying theory, it is difficult to take advantage of all of the power and capabilities offered by the RDBMS.

What kinds of people benefit from this course?

This course is for anyone whose work involves relational databases. Typical participants include:

• Programmers or analysts who have some application development experience, but may not have had recent work experience with databases
• Technology professionals who have experience with proprietary or other database architectures and are now converting to a relational database
• Managers and technical planners responsible for implementing a relational database
• Non-computer professionals such as business analysts or users involved in implementing or maintaining a database for their organization, or who need to assist in defining requirements for a database development project
• Contract managers responsible for overseeing development of a relational database and/or the applications using a relational database by a contracting organization

What software is used in the course?

Access is used as a frontend to an Oracle database as well as a standalone database system. The Embarcadero CASE tool ER Studio is used as a cross-platform tool to generate SQL and to build a database. This course is applicable to all users regardless of the software tools they are using.

I'm a technology professional expecting to learn how the RDBMS works internally. Will this course be useful?

This course is oriented toward using any of the commercially available packages. If you already have experience with commercial RDBMSs and are looking for detailed information on internals or for advanced techniques for programming and tuning the database, then this course will probably be too introductory.

We're going to migrate to a relational database in a client/server system or intranet. Will this course help?

Yes! The database design principles apply to all databases. In addition to developing your understanding of the database design process and relational technology, you gain solid knowledge of the role of the RDBMS and the supplementary products needed in this environment. The analysis and design techniques for a relational database, and the language the RDBMS understands remain the same, regardless of the environment in which they are used.

How much time is spent on each topic?

Aren't "relational" databases being replaced by "object-oriented" databases?

Object-oriented technology offers us many good development concepts and techniques. The dominant RDBMS vendors have embraced object concepts and have incorporated many object capabilities in recent releases. Server-side programming and stored procedures are two features that support encapsulation and reusability, which are major benefits of object orientation. Even as the capabilities of relational databases are extended to include object concepts and have incorporated many object the underlying relational principles still apply to the organization and manipulation of data.

What kinds of hands-on activities are included in this course?

Approximately 40% of class time is devoted to hands-on exercises built around a continuing case study provides the skills you need to analyze, design, build and use a relational database. Exercises thoughout the course include:

• Analyzing an existing database with a CASE tool
• Developing data models to represent various data environments
• Creating a logical data model that identifies entities, attributes and relationships
• Normalizing data to create stable table structures
• Exploiting a CASE tool to generate SQL
• Building a database to correspond to a logical database design
• Constructing simple SQL queries to access the database

The RDBMS vendors offer training. Why do I need this course?

Vendor courses focus on the characteristics and features of their particular product and how to use the product, rather than the underlying technology and how it works. Participants who have had previous product-specific training with a vendor before taking this course have told us that they have benefitted enormously from the Learning Tree experience because they learn 1) what the features and capabilities are and 2) why they work as they do.

How does this course relate to other Learning Tree courses?

Most of the hands-on database courses offered by Learning Tree require background in relational database concepts as prerequisite knowledge. This course provides that background.

Once you have completed Course 382, you may wish to consider one of the following:

• 132, SQL Server® 2005 Database Administration: Hands-On 
• 133, SQL Server® Server-Side Programming with .NET and XML: Hands-On 
• 534, Developing SQL Queries for SQL Server®: Hands-On 
• 296, Project Management: Skills for Success